The Doctor's Note
by SamanthaRoseHeartfillia
Summary: This fanfiction of Doctor Who takes the reader on a new spin of the life of The Doctor. In which a young girls life, Evangeline Claire, is forever changed and possibly destroyed thanks to The Doctor. Will she be able to get over the struggles of the past, or will they consume her forever?
1. Chapter 1

The Doctors Note: Chapter I

Dear Me,

I've finally done it, I found the Doctor. However it wasn't everything we'd pictured. I understand now, the T.A.R.D.I.S. is a disease and The Doctor a trap. Everything you thought about disrupting your future/past was true, those who fiddle with time will be punished. The reason I'm writing this is to stop you from going down the road I did. I know that if you get this and follow my warnings I will no longer exist...That thought is worth dying for. I cannot enclose my adventures with him as that could be dangerous. I can only tell you to stay away from the man with the purple tie. You will know him when you meet him. I was never supposed to become his companion, because I did an innocent life was taken. A life more suited to be his companion. As a result of my actions there is blood on my hands. The guilt I must live with will kill you, should you choose the wrong path.

The Doctor says this note will never reach you and even if it does, you will not give up the life we'd always dreamt of. However I know myself, and if I'm right even though I may always end up on this path perhaps one day the note you read will be enough to stop you from making this decision. I remember receiving this note when I was much younger. I ignored my own words then, I thought to myself The Doctor is not a trap, he saves lives. Never have I been so wrong. The fact I was given this note in my youth means I've gone down this path before. I cannot be sure of how many times I've made this decision as you know the laws of time. Must we keep making this decision over and over again. Must we stay on this endless circle of madness.

I understand your frustration, to meet him yet be forbidden to join him...I'm sorry it had to be like this but nothing I do will ever make these mistakes right. Hoping and praying you will have the sense enough to change our future is the only thing that keeps me going.

If I die tomorrow I know it will be because you have made the right decision... Heed my words, The Doctor is a poison, every day that comes I will wait for your decision.

~Evangeline A. Claire

Please do not keep this endless cycle going. Stop the madness and save yourself, no matter the temptation.

The letter is gone through time yet its been weeks since any activity. Perhaps the letter was lost...perhaps I ignored it...again. Waiting like this is torture. I want to know the truth however I am stuck here, lost without a way back. Every day that passes I only grow to loathe him more. Waiting is killing me.

I stare into the hearth, the crackling fire brings me back to New York, so many people died that day. The Doctor and I were there for one mission only, to prevent a fixed point in time from being erased. Though fixed points in time are protected by all things how can it be protected by the forces of time and nature colliding.

The Doctor was forewarned of this point in time by a prophetic Ood. He was ordered to protect a life who was needed in another point in time. The triangle shirtwaist factory was aloft with fire, it raged out of the windows and high above the fifteen story building. People everywhere were frantic, trying to catch those who choose to jump from the fire. The fire exits were blocked by so many bodies who had tried to escape to quickly. The Doctor and I only had minutes before a young girl name Aurodella was going to die.

He parked the T.A.R.D.I.S. inside the factory. The smell of burning wood and smoke filled my lungs quickly. "How are we going to find her in this! Couldn't we go farther back in time? You know some time when she isn't surrounded by fire!" I yell to him, coughing.

"Sorry, time and forces of nature colliding. Something called a space/time rift can't be helped." The Doctor replied while pointing his sonic screwdriver at a fallen piece of wood, now burning to a crisp on the ground.

I groaned and turned away to find an opening in the raging fire. A few feet away I saw a doorway not completely burned away, but it was still obstructed by fire. "Doctor!" I screamed for him, within seconds he came up behind me. He quickly pointed his screwdriver at the fire, it whizzed and buzzed soon the fire died down. I turned to him, "What can't your sonic screwdriver do?"

"I don't know, I've never encountered a problem like that." He scowled at the tip of his screwdriver as if looking at it would provide some sort of answer.

The Doctor put away his screwdriver and stepped through the all but fallen doorway. I followed his lead. Looking around I couldn't see how this building was still standing. Rafters rained from the ceiling, fire licked the walls and worked its way into every crack expanding and breaking the architecture.

The Doctor led us to a stairwell where the fire raged less violently. Running up three steps at a time we hurried to the thirteenth floor. The girls who were working at the factory when it caught fire littered the ground now. A few girls were trying to claw their way around the dead bodies to get to the fire escape. A few had opened up one fire escape and jumped one by one. Even thirteen floors up I could still hear the thud their dead bodies made on the ground. I cringed and turned away to look for our quarry.

There were so many girls here I didn't know where she could be, smoke choked me. "How are we going to find her in this?" I rasped in The Doctor's direction. The Doctor paused, looked around the room and took off like a racehorse. I barely had enough time to follow him over the dead bodies. When I caught up to him he was moving bodies away from a closed door. It was faint but over the falling building and fire I could hear someone yelling for help.

I quickly aided The Doctor to get to the closed door. When we finally opened it we found who was screaming. Inside a mostly intact broom closet was a young girl about twenty. She had beautiful golden blonde hair that went past her shoulders. I recognized her instantly.

There wasn't much time, the minute we opened the door a rafter fell from the ceiling, it crashed in front of the doorway. "Aurodella! Take my hand!" I shouted, extending my hand to her.

"How do you know my name?" She asked as she grabbed my hand and i lifted her over the rafter.

"I think there are more important things we should be thinking about right now!" The Doctor shouted to us, slightly coughing against the smoke. I squeezed Aurodella's hand and we took off running. Surprisingly we made back down the stairs to the T.A.R.D.I.S.

The Doctor opened the door and rushed us inside. We all fell in coughing the smoke out of our lungs. I looked back at The Doctor who had regained himself and now was starting up the T.A.R.I.S. for flight. I smacked Aurodella's back to get the smoke out of her lungs. She slowly stopped coughing and looked around her.

There was an audible gasp as Aurodella perceived where she was. "What is this place?" She asked breathless. I helped her up and walked over to The Doctor, now pulling some whatzits on a keyboard.

"Time and relative dimension in space, or T.A.R.D.I.S. if you prefer." The Doctor answered, looking up and smiling at her.

"It's not of this century is it?" Aurodella asked while walking around and exploring everything.

"She catches on quickly." I mumbled to The Doctor, he replied with a joke.

"Much faster than you." I hit his arm, we both laughed and turned back to Aurodella.

"How do you know my name? And why did you save me?" She asked.

"Well…" The Doctor shrugged while thinking of an answer she would understand.

"Future intuition!" I improvised. "Not an uncommon thing where we come from. Long story short this is a time machine and we were sent here to save your life."

"A bit Terminator but she gets the point." The Doctor whispered to me.

Aurodella stopped looking around and turned to face us, as if she didn't quite believe me. "Where are we going then?"

"Somewhere safe. Where you can continue living." Said The Doctor.

My mind came out of its daydream when a knock came on the door. In the eighteenth century not many people come to visit. I hiked up my maids dress and walked over to the door. Before I even reached it someone kicked it in. I heard a voice shout, "Thats her! She's the witch!"

Hands grabbed me and forced me to the ground. A million thoughts ran through my head at the same time. Witch? This blasted town I'm no witch! They're going to kill me if they think I'm a witch. However the fact this is occurring must mean this is the universes way of destroying a life that shouldn't have existed. Which means my letter got through to myself and I never met The Doctor! Finally! After agonizingly long weeks I took my advice and never became The Doctor's companion. Now it's as if my suffering never happened.

I tried to hide my smile as the men of the town lifted me to my feet and walked me outside. Hiding my smile didn't work very well, the men saw it and it only convinced them further I was insane. There was no point hiding it, as I was forced through an angry mob to the stake I realized just what this meant.

It meant I was free, the guilt and remorse which so heavily weighed me down before will no longer be there. I'll be erased and my suffering along with it. I started to laugh, my laugh grew larger and eventually I was laughing so hard I couldn't stand. I stood still as they tied me to the stake.

Looking out at the crowd I never felt more free...Until I noticed a familiar face. He was looking at me like I knew why he was here, and like I knew what I should do next...I did know what to do if he was here. Blasted Doctor! He's not going to let me die in peace is he? I gritted my teeth and for a moment thought about ignoring him. But I couldn't I looked at him again and this time he stepped forward.

"Damn you!" I shouted. I bit my lip and before I was completely tied to the stake I pulled my hands away knocking the ropes to the ground. The men surrounded me and tried to hold me down. I dodged them with adept precision. My skills from being a trained assassin paid off in the worst of times. A few of the men had weapons, I immediately spotted a knife and made the most of it. The man parried his knife, I turned sideways and used my momentum to grab a hold of the man's arm and force the knife out of his hand. Once I had the knife getting away was easy.

I fought of the men one by one, the other citizens didn't dare challenge me after seeing my skills at work. I quickly ran to the risers and jumped onto a roof where I disappeared behind the buildings. When I came down The Doctor was waiting for me.

"You couldn't just leave me alone to die could you?" I say to him tossing the knife to the ground.

"You know I can't do that."

"Why you!" I rounded on The Doctor with all the hatred I'd harbored for four years without him. But I stopped short, it wasn't worth it and it would accomplish nothing. I turned away in disgust. "Why are you here?"

"I know that you think the letter went through but it never did. I'm here to tell you, you can't let yourself be killed. Eva I thought you knew better than that…"

"Yeah, well four years of being trapped in eighteenth century Europe will do that to you. I'm not like you! I don't get a light at the end of the tunnel! The only thing I can do is try to stop the mess I made from happening again…"

The Doctor looked at me with sympathetic eyes. I was beginning to loathe that look of his. "You can't stop it. It's a fixed point in time." The Doctor trailed off, he couldn't face me.

"Fixed point in time!" I blew up, he never told me this! How am I supposed to stop the disaster I'll create with The Doctor if it's a fixed point in time? "Why didn't I know this sooner! Do you know how many times I must have sent that letter to myself in the past? I can't even count the number of days I wished I could take back everything that happened! Why are you coming to tell me this now? Why not just let me die here? It's not like I'm needed anywhere!" The Doctor didn't reply, he just looked to the ground, as if I knew the answer. After a while it came to me. Quietly I mumbled one of the first things I heard him say. "900 years of time and space and you've never met anyone who wasn't important…"

"I'm sorry I couldn't get to you, I'll show you new worlds again. So you can see the universe through happy eyes like you used to." He extended his hand toward me and snapped his fingers. I noticed that behind him the T.A.R.I.S. doors swung open. As much as I resented what happened because of The Doctor I just couldn't hate him for it. He tried everything he could to save them, but it wasn't enough.

I know I'd hate myself for it later but I reached for his hand anyway.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter II

"So did you wreck anyone else's life while you were gone?" I started while nonchalantly looking around the T.A.R.D.I.S. It didn't look any different from the last time I'd been inside, _So maybe he is the same Doctor I knew...I'd assumed he'd changed in some way over four years, perhaps it was me who changed._

"Actually I was looking for you." He replied. I paused where I was then turned to look at him. "The T.A.R.D.I.S. had a bit of a malfunction, I was stuck in 2014 for a while until it could be fixed by the time it was fixed I came here to find four years had gone by." There was a pause as we both were silent. After a few minutes The Doctor spoke again. "What was it like...Four years during the time of witches?" The Doctor chuckled as he gave me a cocky smile.

I laughed and said "Suspicious. Look at someone the wrong way and suddenly you're a witch. Staying inside to avoid everyone doesn't work either, they'll think you're performing necromancy."

We laughed together. I smiled and it felt foreign. I hadn't smiled in so long I'd thought I'd forgotten how. The Doctor and I laughing...it almost felt like old times. The times when we would joke without a care in the world. My laughter faded as my mind went back to old times. The days before the worst day of my life.

Not only had The Doctor's companion died because of me but others as well, others I cared about. I couldn't help my mind from travelling back to the day I lost my family.

The first time I met The Doctor...Our family had been trained assassins for such a long time, the backstory for this reason was not a pretty one. Long story short we were assassins in order to hunt down and kill those who would bring sadness and pain. I was entrusted with a new target at a formal party held by British royalty. Faking a guests name to get in was easy, finding the target was even more so. However committing the act had to wait until the target was alone. As I was watching the target it seemed he didn't move more than an arms length away from the crowd, suspiciously I thought, _Does he know he's being targeted?_

Before I had time to react someone from behind crashed into me. We both fell to the ground. "Hey!" I yelled.

"Sorry, my fault, tripped on a...tripped on a something!" The man stood up awkwardly as he tried to explain. This man was a strange one indeed. He wore a tan suit with suspenders under and a white shirt tied with a purple bow tie. "Excuse me…" The man trailed off then ran away. Not long after I saw a young girl chasing after him calling back to him as 'Doctor'.

I dismissed what happened and turned back to my target but when I did he was on the floor. Or at least his skin was, standing on top of it as if he just stepped out of a full body suit was a giant humanoid looking figure. However it wasn't human at all. The head was so large it took up most of its neck, the skin was dark and it glistened under the chandelier. The cocktail I'd been holding dropped to the ground.

_My target has turned into an overgrown potato...that'll make for a great report on why he wasn't eliminated! _All thoughts were gone as the overgrown potato pulled up a large gun and threatened everyone there. As the attendants tried to escape the party more potato men showed themselves to be posing as guests. Soon we were surrounded.

Every person in attendance to the party was held captive. The culprits began speaking in a language known only to themselves. _I'll be damned if this is how I die! I'm getting myself out of here!_ Easier said than done. Luckily though my skills as a trained assassin came in handy in a time like this. I began to sneak away from the party. I had positioned myself next to an exit if something went wrong. Who could have known I'd be using it to get away from angry potatoes?!

When I was outside the room where the hostages were being held I ran like hell. Little did I know more of those men had worked themselves into every room and hallway this place had. I was found when I reached the end of the hallway.

More potato men chased me, I ran faster down another hallway. I looked frantically for an exit however the party was held on the fourth floor. Even if I jumped I'd die from the fall. _Dammit these things planned it this way didn't they! _It was too perfect, the situation favoured the opposing party too well. My mind raced thinking of ways to get out when suddenly my collar was tugged...hard. Whatever grabbed me pulled me into a room right as I rounded a corner. I felt a hand over my mouth, it let go when my chasers footsteps were out of earshot.

The minute the hand was released I pulled my gun from my thigh, turned around and pointed it at whomever pulled me in here. I saw hands go up immediately.

"Whoa, fiesty one ain't she, Doctor?"

"Yes, if I do say so myself." The man the other referred to as Doctor extended a hand. "Hello! I'm The Doctor." He smiled, very friendly despite the situation.

I didn't take his hand instead kept the gun pointed at them. The woman next to this doctor had shoulder length brown hair, her face looked happy and quirky. She didn't look like a threat in any way. The doctor looked just like any other normal guest. Aside from his purple bow tie..._Wait a minute! Purple bow tie? The Doctor? This is the man I saw earlier._ Just then I recalled a letter I'd gotten a week ago. It was addressed to me, from myself but I didn't remember sending anything to myself. What was strange about it was how old it looked. The letter had to be from the eighteenth century or earlier. It talked about a man named The Doctor...It was a stretch to think this but there was a long passed down tradition in my family of assassins. It dated back to our origins, apparently my great great grandmother was accused of being a witch and sentenced to death along with her family at the time. Her husband, my great great grandfather tried to escape but was led astray by a man who identified himself as The Doctor. That made no sense! This man in front of me can't be the same man! He'd be thousands of years old!

I kept the gun pointed at them as my mind processed a logical explanation. This must have made The Doctor uneasy. "Nothing? You're not going to say it?"

"Say what?" I demanded.

The man smiled then said, "Doctor Who?" The girl beside him giggled. I couldn't think of anyway these two could be a threat so i took a chance and put my gun away. "Thats better! See we're all friends here! Now back to the plan, how to get rid of these aliens!"

"Aliens? Are those the things that crashed the party?" I asked him as he ran around the room that held what looked to be some sort of alien technology. For the first time I noticed the room had a circle that was held on a stand which was connected to wires that were sprawled in every direction on the floor. The Doctor started connecting wires to the circle and fumbling around with various things in the room.

"Sontaran's actually! I know they look like overgrown potatoes, but trust me those aliens can be evil!"

"Doctor whats the plan?" The girl asked as she turned towards him.

"Good question Clara! And a good answer I do not have!"

"What?!" I started, "Then what are you doing?"

The Doctor stopped and looked at me. "Trying something. But I'll need more than one person, won't you help?"

I pondered this for a moment as the letter came back to mind. _Stay away from the man with the purple bow tie..._It said...But surely there is no other way to get out of this situation. Finally I answered, "Well, seeing as my target turned into an angry potato...yes, I'll help."

That was the day I sold my soul away. In the end The Doctor's plan didn't work out the way he'd hoped. One of the aliens pulled a ray gun but the girl, Clara stepped in front of The Doctor before he could be harmed. She was blast to ashes instantly. After that The Doctor crumbled to the ground over losing his companion, it was up to me to get us out of there. I took down their leader and fled with The Doctor inside his T.A.R.D.I.S. For a long time after that he wouldn't speak, just dropped me off at the motel I'd been staying at. When I stepped outside I realized we'd been inside a police box but we were somehow in front of the motel. I looked around to be sure I was really there and not in some illusion but when I turned back to The Doctor's blue box he was gone.

The next day he came back and asked if I would join him, there was no trace of the sorrow that filled his face the day before. He asked me to come away with him…I said yes.

"What's that face for? What are you thinking?" The Doctor broke me from my daydreams.

"Nothing, just daydreaming. Being alone for four years I didn't really have anything to do but think, old habits die hard I guess."

"Well, enough of that boring stuff! We're travelling through time! Where do you want to go? Runi, Nanaea, Asgard or perhaps you want to see the earth in the time of pharaohs and egyptians?"

The Doctor said while running around the T.A.R.D.I.S hitting what looked like random buttons before coming to a stop beside me. I couldn't help but smile. "How about, victorian england! I do love seeing you in a victorian tux!"

The Doctor smiled back, then he turned back to the T.A.R.D.I.S. and shouted, "Geronimo!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter III

The Doctor and I had a well enough time in Victorian England. Everything was as beautiful as I'd imagined. The Doctor seemed to be up to something as he was unusually more happy yet I also noticed his efforts to try and make things seem like those four years away had never happened.

_Oh Doctor, when will you ever be able to forgive yourself?_ I wondered, knowing full well that the reason for his change in attitude was his guilt for leaving me behind. Like all other places we've gone too however the Doctor was needed here.

We stumbled into a man and his wife causing an uproar in the marketplace. "It's coming I tell you!" He seemed very agitated his moustache quivered and a vein popped on his fat forehead as he screamed to the civilians. "We are _not _safe! Riots will form and the streets will be painted with blood!" The man's wife backed up his arguments with shouting and cheering, showing much more enthusiasm than he got from the rest of the crowd. It wasn't until someone else spoke to him did his rantings stop.

"Come now, Diggory. There's no need to rile up the people. Come down from that stool you are scaring the children." Another man spoke up, he was sharply dressed with shined shoes and a top hat. His well grown beard was groomed to perfection. I labeled him instantly as an aristocrat.

The fat man on the stool called Diggory now turned to the fellow contrasting his sayings. "You don't believe me but I'm right! My wife has seen visions of these horrible times ahead!"

"You mean the wife who's supposedly a psychic?" An unseen voice shouted from the crowd. "We've all heard this one before, there's no such thing as psychics"

"Sounds more like witchcraft to me!" Another voice came up to say but I couldn't find it's owner as Diggory began talking again. He barely got out a word though as a wall of voices threw boos and jests at him.

I should have known the Doctor would step up before he did, yet I was still surprised when he moved into position beside the fat man Diggory. "'Ello! Pleasure to meet you!" He took Diggory's hand without consent and shook it vigorously. "You said your wife's a psychic?" He questioned eliciting a quick response from Diggory.

"Y-yes! She-she has seen visions of riots and men killing men! Vision that happen in these very streets!"

"Unless you're a madman too there's no use talking to that blight!" Another unseen voice said and the crowd began to slowly flow back to normal, walking away from the scene and ignoring Diggory.

"A madman? That I am!" The Doctor exclaimed with a smile. "However any madman knows that psychics are not as crazy as others think them to be. Psychics are actually very special humans. They are very sympathetic and also make great players of chess!" The Doctor was next to Diggory's wife seemingly talking to her but talking loud enough for everyone to hear. "And if I may say, a very lovely psychic you are." The Doctor took her hand and kissed it while doing a proper bow.

I thought the wife would swoon when her husband came over and separated the two. "Those are very kind words, sir, but what's this all about?" His arm went protectively around his wife who looked at the Doctor with flirtatious eyes.

"I'm an official." He flashed them psychic paper which they accepted to mean something important. "I want to know everything about these visions your wife has been having. I find more often than not psychics are always right."

Diggory happily obliged and found a place for them all to talk, I fell into step behind The Doctor and after introductions took place the talking began.

"Horrible things are to happen. I know that much." Diggory's wife, Milanda began. "The visions I have are not very clear but what I can make out is horrible. First the screams start then I smell fire and see red on the ground. The screams get louder and I can hear gunshots. I don't know who's doing the shooting but it seems to cause a lot of panic. My sight fades in and out and I can just barely comprehend bodies in front of me, beside me, behind me. There are dead people everywhere, and more are running away...Then the vision fades. I'm afraid I can't give you any more information than that."

The Doctor scowled and thought for a moment. Then he perked up with his usual quirky spirit. "Don't worry, Lady Milanda! Whatever visions you have will not come true."

"How do you know that?" She asked worried.

"Because I won't let them happen." He said bowing and kissed her hand.

The Doctor and I left Diggory and his wife after saying our goodbyes, I had to almost run to catch up to him. "Are you sure you can stop this from happening?"

"I'm sure I can try."

"But we don't even know what will cause this? How are we supposed to prevent it?"

"Because that's the one thing we always do! Protect the earth." The Doctor smiled and I knew his mad ways would get us into trouble but save these people at the same time.

The Doctor and I decided to ask the locals about Diggory and his wife, it was best we split up, so The Doctor and I agreed to meet in the center park at midnight. In the meantime I was strolling along downtown asking every villager I see for information. Most of them were less than eager to help though which made this a tough investigation.

It wasn't until I met a friendly folk did my luck turn around. After being rejected for information on the town psycho once more I was pushed aside, before I caught my balance I fell straight into a passerby. I apologized and looked at who I'd bumped into. I recognized him as the man from before who told Diggory he was scaring the people with his mad talk.

"So sorry, sir!"

"It's quite alright. People around here aren't too eager to talk about the man who stalks the streets every night. Everyones afraid of him." The man said to me and I realized he had seen the entire spectacle of how I got rejected by every person I talked to.

"If I may, why are you afraid of him?" I inquired innocently, the man didn't seem to be agitated with my poking around because he answered me.

"Me? Oh no I'm not afraid of him. The town folk are though, can't trust a man who spouts nonsense day and night." The man continued. "He's crazy is all and that makes people uncomfortable, which makes them afraid." He finished with an emphasis on afraid, leaning towards me to get his point across.

"Well you're the first person who's willing to talk about him, I've noticed. Do you mind if I ask you more about him?" I saw a chance and I took it.

The man laughed. "Not at all dear lady, my name is Xerxes, follow me we'll talk at home." And we did, he lead me to his house, which based on his clothing should not have been surprising. This man was obviously very wealthy and he had no problem showing it off, still something about the man gave off an air of humility that she had to admire.

I breathed out deeply when I saw his mansion, "Who are you, the president?"

"The who?" He asked, then I remembered I was dating myself.

"Nothing." I recovered quickly, as we stepped into his elegant and lavishly victorian living room I continued questioning him. "So about...Mr. Diggory."

"Yes, of course," He sat down, accepting a cup of tea from a maid who had just walked in. She offered me some tea but I politely refused. "What would you like to know?"

"Is he really insane? Is all that," I gestured with my hands searching for the right word. "madness he spewed in the marketplace really true?"

Xerxes laughed. "It could be, and it could not be."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Diggory's wife has been right before, and she's been wrong before."

"What did she predict?"

"The falling of the royal queen. Diggory gathered everyone in the marketplace as usual stirring up trouble and announced the queen would die in a matter of days. None of us believed him until he marked her death date to the hour."

"That's impressive. His wife predicts all this?"

"Apparently. Although most of the time he just scares the folk, he once predicted London would be destroyed by aliens. When it didn't happen he claimed some sort of time traveller stopped the aliens before they got to earth. It all just seemed to much like a cover story to believe, So most people don't trust him. Especially when he mumbles to himself while walking the streets at night."

"Can he be trusted?"

"Oh sure he can!" Xerxes exclaimed happily putting his empty tea cup down. "He's a good man, if only he didn't stir up trouble he be the model citizen."

Xerxes was done talking and I thought it best I left. I stood up. "Thank you for the tea Mr-" I waited for his last name.

"Pharamond!" He replied happily extending a hand. I stopped for a moment, _Pharamond...that was the name of my ancestors who supposedly met a man who identified as the Doctor...but I was told the Doctor killed them. No the Doctor would never do that, how can I be sure it's even my family? But Pharamond is not a common name…_ Xerxes looked at me quizzically after my hesitation.

"Sorry," I quickly grabbed his hand. "I just thought I'd heard your name before."

"Oh. I don't like to brag but I'm sure you have." He began tepidly. "You see my family makes it's business from making weapons for the warriors of England. The Pharamond Armory is a popular name. My wife and I don't like to flaunt though so we avoid last names when possible."

_That settled it, every little detail matched up with what Xerxes said, nothing from the history of my ancestors was out of place...I had to tell the Doctor._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter IV

I met the Doctor by midnight like we'd planned. A million thoughts raced through my mind as I thought about Xerxes and how he could possibly be my great great grandfather. I'd been raised my whole life to be an assassin, by my own family too. In fact our family specialized in murdering targets. Many generations had been raised the same way I was, and we all knew why. It was recorded into our brains before we ever began training. Xerxes Pharamond, a very wealthy arms dealer for victorian England was caught up in a massacre with his whole family. No one knows why the massacre began in the first place, there were theories of course but none of them made sense in my opinion. Apparently when Xerxes heard of the riot in the streets he gathered his wife, brother and three children and tried to make an escape. But they were stopped by a man who called himself a Doctor. Xerxes quickly explained that he wanted to get his family to safety, but, according to the journals he kept, the man was secretive and looked grimm. The Doctor lead them down a place he claimed was safe but when they became surrounded by armed guards The Doctor seemed to disappear along with a very distinct and very odd sound. The guards shot at his family, Xerxes tried to protect them but he was taken down with a bullet to the right shoulder and left knee. Out of all his family members Xerxes was the only one to survive.

Xerxes wrote in his journal that he researched everything he could about this 'Doctor', he'd called up lore specialists and anyone who claimed to know this man even if they were perceived as crazy by everyone else. He talked with them about what The Doctor looked like and how he came to meet them all, each person had a different experience and different description of him but one thing remained solid, the sound which told of his coming. Xerxes swore that if he heard that sound again he'd recognize it instantly. Xerxes had poured his life into finding the Doctor, but the day came when he realized he wouldn't be able to find him, and he had to pass on his life's work to someone else. Xerxes married again and using the wealth he made from his previous business as an arms dealer he supported them, but raised them to be assassins, with one goal...Kill The Doctor.

That's what Xerxes wrote in his journals, every member of my quite large family knew the story of how we became assassin's, it became, essentially, the family business. I never cared much for what some washed up old legend thought or died for, I only killed because it's what I knew best. When I met the Doctor I told myself the stories weren't true. I had a hard enough time believing that the Doctor was a time traveller who was over a thousand years old and had seen a millions worlds die a hundred times over without the added possibility that he;s the reason I had such a terrible childhood.

But I couldn't pretend anymore, the journals we were forced to study till our eyes bled were all coming true. Xerxes was real and he had a real family with a real successful business. Which meant that the horror Diggory's wife predicted would come to pass. If that was so, Xerxes would lose his family and set the path for generations of his descendants to become assassin's.

_I have to stop it…_ I knew it then, the tragedy of my almost non-existent childhood would never exist if I prevented Xerxes's family from being killed. _I have to prevent the massacre...I have to change history._

The Doctor arrived at the meeting point not long after me, he strolled in deep in thought but when he saw me he perked up and grabbed my shoulders. The Doctor went off on a tangent, talking about how wonderful the city was and this person and that person.

"DOCTOR!" I had to butt in to get his attention, he stopped his insanely fast talking of nonsense and looked at me. "I have something very important to tell you."

I filled him in on my family history, of what he didn't already know anyway. I told him who I thought- no, who I _knew_ Xerxes was. The Doctor scowled and looked at me with serious eyes.

"Eva, are you sure you know who this man is?"

"Yes, Doctor! I know he is my ancestor which is why I have to stop his family from being killed!"

The Doctor turned in circles as he talked. "You're talking about changing history! If Xerxes never became a killer then you would never be born and never have spent time with me."

"Exactly my point, Doctor!" I shouted, getting infuriated now. Time was running out, I had to make him understand why I needed to do this. "Think back on everything that happened because of me! I have killed countless people for money, ruined their family member's lives in the process and what's even worse is I got one of your companions killed!"

"Clara's death is not your fault, I've told you that!" He pointed a stern finger at me but I ignored it.

"Don't lie, Doctor! If we had never met the tragedy of halloween night would never have happened!"

The Doctor stopped, we had never mentioned the reason I was left in the ages of the witch trials, the subject was too painful. But it was true, if I had never met the Doctor he would never have brought us to that time per my request. What we did that Halloween night was unthinkable, it was a tragedy and it was my fault.

The Doctor bowed his head. I could almost hear him thinking but he didn't say anything, the silence was killing me. "I can't let you save them." He said softly, almost inaudible.

"What?!" I demanded an answer but he could barely met my eye. "Why? I thought that's what we do! I thought we saved people. Doctor you have to let me save my family! If Xerxes never lost his then I would never have to endure pain such as I have so far."

"Because you won't exist!" He shouted. "It's a paradox, Eva! What happened that halloween night is a fixed point in time, _you _are a fixed point in time! If you save your family you will change history so that you would never have been born. And you know how the T.A.R.D.I.S. hates paradoxes." He warned.

"I don't care! I don't care that I will never have been born, I don't care that I'm a fixed point in time! I can change the pain of my past and that's the only thing I care about!"

"And what of your life!" He grabbed my shoulders forcefully, yelling, trying to get his point across. "What of your life as my companion? Has none of that mattered!? You are my friend Eva! What do you think it would do to me if you died?"

I pulled away, what I said next was cruelly cold, even given the situation and something that I would regret ever since the words left my mouth. "You'll move on...You always do, right?" The Doctor was speechless, I couldn't talk anymore without risking tears. I turned away from him, heading back up the path to Xerxes Pharamond's house. _I will save you, Xerxes Pharamond, with my last breath I will stop the tragedy I created with my very existence..._

I finally reach the door to Xerxes's house. It had gotten cold, so cold my fingers seemed frozen to the bone. I surveyed the night, everything was quiet. But not a good quiet that told of peace, the quiet that told of oncoming war. The calm before a storm. I impatiently knocked on Xerxes's front door. I had to warn him quickly. Before the massacre took place, I would remove his family to a safe place and stop the tragic events that would lead to my birth.

I knocked louder and with more conviction. Finally the door was opened forcefully by one of his maids in slippers, a robe and harboring a very annoyed expression. "Ma'am do you know what time it is? What is your purpose here?" She demanded none too pleasantly.

"I'm sorry I had to wake you all up but I need to speak with Xerxes, quickly please!"

The maid looked extremely flustered, she drew a deep breath indignantly then said; "I don't know your reason for coming here so late but the Master is sleeping," I tried to open my mouth but the maid kept talking with more force, "-AS IS his family! Now I would appreciate it if you left. Good night." She tried to close the door but I jammed my foot in it before it closed.

My palm found the wooden door and pushed it open despite attempts from the maid to close it. "Like I said, sorry I had to do this, but this _cannot _wait." I stared her in the eye trying to intimidate her. It must have worked as I forced my way in and demanded to see Xerxes.

She barely said a word except, "P-please leave. The Master is not seeing anyone at this time." She was like a broken record, repeating the same nonsense. I rolled my eyes and began to search the mansion for Xerxes myself. His house was bigger than I thought, there were so many rooms that could be his. However something told me I was going the right way when I passed the living room we sat in earlier talking about Diggory. Up the stairs and in a set of lavishly decorated ornate doors Xerxes slept with his wife, comfy under the covers. I lit every candle I could find and shook Xerxes awake. He looked up at me confused, then angry and scared. His wife almost screamed as he called me a burglar.

Just then the maid came in repeating herself again. I ignored the maid and focused on Xerxes.

"Mr. Pharamond!" I called loudly, making the words echo and forcing silence to fall on everyone in the room. "We don't have much time but the city is going to turn into a battlefield You have to get your family to safety before the riots reach your house!" I spoke urgently trying to convey as much as possible as concisely as possible.

Xerxes and his wife just blinked at me from under the covers. Then after a long while he spoke. "I remember you. You asked me about Diggory earlier today...And now you've forced your way into my home!" Xerxes's anger grew, he stood up, grabbed a rifle from beside the bed, most likely made by his company, and demanded to know what I was doing here.

"I've already told you,...sir." I added trying to be polite but I doubt that had any effect now, "Your family is in danger. Listen, everything Diggory said about riots in the street and people dying is true. And your family will be killed too if you don't get out of here, NOW!"

"What!? That's what this is about. Some mad ramblings from a crazy man? Honestly you must be out of your mind! There are no riots in the streets!"

I grinded my teeth, he was being impossible, although that was probably because I'd forced my way into his home and indirectly threatened his and his family's lives. Before I could insist on his evacuation another servant came in. This one was panting and covered in dirt. He blonde hair was tussled as if he'd gotten into a fight with a grizzly and lost.

"Finnigan? What are you doing here?" Xerxes immediately addressed his servant. "I sent you home for the day."

Then Finnigan replied. "Yes, sir you did- but outside. The military…" Finnigan could barely speak and tried to catch his breath but the message must have been urgent as he forced words out. "There are riots...in the street sir. People are scared and the military is armed. You have to leave sir, they are going to storm every house and if they find one trace of suspicious activity they've been ordered to kill on sight!" Finnigan finally took a breath and looked at the rifle Xerxes had in his hand. If the military was looking for suspicious activity they would certainly consider an arms dealer, legal or not, to be suspicious.

"What how do you know this!"

"Because it's happening all over town sir!" The words barely left the servants mouth as a faint gunshot sounded like cracking lightning from outside. A woman screamed and outside the streets erupted in gunshots and screams of pain, of loss, of confusion, of terror.

_No...It's happening!_ I was painfully aware of how little time I had to save Xerxes left. I grabbed Xerxes shoulders, forcing eye contact. "Grab your family and get them out of here now!" I shouted at him, this time he seemed to agree and slightly nodded before running out his bedroom door to wake up the rest of the house.

When everyone was gathered, a few maids and servant, including Finnigan, Xerxes's brother, children and wife, I told them the safest way to go would be through any back exit they had.

"I had the contractors build a garden, we can use the back door and get out through there." Xerxes's wife informed me and I let her lead the way.

So far so good as the Pharamond family left the garden right as the front door of their house was kicked in. But I couldn't just lead them through the wilderness around town, they had to find a secluded road to follow as far away from this town as possible. I relayed to them a plan I had just made up then.

"Your best chance to get away is to find a minor secluded road and take it all the way to the next town."

"Oh my." The mother held a jeweled hand over her heart and the other around her son. "The next town is ten miles from here. I don't think the children can make a journey like that."

"They'll have to." Xerxes replied giving a torch to his eldest son, who looked to be twelve. Xerxes conversed with his brother for a second, they both looked extremely similar, they shared everything that made them brothers, black hair, handsome facial features even the way they talked with their hands told of the years they'd spent together. They seemed to come to some sort of conclusion and Xerxes spoke, his voice soft and steady, all the better to keep his children calm. "This is what we'll do. The streets are too dangerous to go near so we'll need to make our way undetected past the alleyways in the back of the marketplace."

"But those alleys are dangerous!" Xerxes's wife protested.

Xerxes turned to her with a grim expression. "Everywhere is dangerous in the moment."

The Pharamond family and I managed to make our way past downtown, we were almost out of the alleys when one of Xerxes's daughters fell and alerted the attention of a few military men. Xerxes quickly pulled his daughter to his side, it was too late the guards were armed and heading towards our direction. I put a finger to my lips, an indication for everyone to be quiet, then I slipped out of the alley coming out just before the military men entered. They noticed me at once, turned and aimed their guns at me.

"HALT!" They yelled along with, "BY THE ORDER OF THE KING, WE MUST DETAIN YOU!"

I forced a smile, the two military men shared confused looks. "You'll have to catch me first." And with that I took off, I didn't need to turn my head to know the military men were chasing after me. Their footsteps were enough evidence of that.

Unfortunately the military men soon got tired of chasing me and let their bullets fly. One after the other, they took turns reloading while the other one shot at me. I just barely ducked behind a building in time. The bullets stopped and heavy footsteps clanged on the cobblestone. I had little time but years of being an assassin rendered me able to climb the most flat surfaces. I grabbed hold of the nearest window and kicked off the ground. Within a matter of seconds I was on top of the building looking down on the two confused military men.

They were wasting time by standing around looking for me, so I made use of their stupidity. Before they made a move I swooped down from above, grabbed both rifle barrels before they could fire and yanked them from their hands. Now with two guns in hand I dropped one and used the sword edge to run down the first soldier. The second wasn't far behind as he tried to escape but I was too fast for him.

With both soldier dead I suspected I should return to the Pharamond family. I exited the safety of behind the building and ran along the bloody streets tills I came back to where I left Xerxes and his family. Diggory's wife was right, there were gunshots, then screaming, mass confusion, chaos and dead bodies line the streets now. The cobblestone was dyed red with blood. I tried not to think about if Xerxes had been killed or not. _He isn't dead...Because I'm going to save him. _I told myself as I almost ran past the hiding spot I'd left them in.

Before I entered the alleyway though The Doctor blocked my path. He put his hands on my shoulders and stopped me in my tracks. "EVA!" He loudly exclaimed. "Where've you been?" He didn't give me a chance to answer as he continued. "Nevermind we need to leave." He tried to pull me away but I resisted.

"Wait, where's Xerxes?" The Doctor faltered and didn't reply. "Doctor! Where is he?" I shuddered at the expression on his face, The Doctor held a face so guilty it screamed Benedict Arnold. "No...You didn't…" I asked for clarification that the Doctor could really do something so horrifyingly against his nature. The clarification I got was the scream of Xerxes Pharamond's wife and children and the sound of gunshot ripping into the air.

She ran...she ran into the firing of bullets. My attempts to save a tortured soul were for naught. I did the only thing a Timelord could do when it comes to the laws of time. Because not even the Timelords can bend time and space to suit them. As I watched Evangeline Claire run away into the bullets I tried to stop her. She pushed me to the ground, tears in her eyes.

All I heard where her screams, everything else was drowned out, it didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was the way I'd tried to prevent her inevitable death and broken her heart in the process. Whether or not Eva could have lived with herself, or with me for that matter, after I brought her ancestors to their deaths I would never have known as the bullets pierced her chest, her arms and legs, her head...Eva tried with all her might to erase her terrible past and the painful memories she shared with me, I guess in the end she did manage to stop them if nothing else.


End file.
